On the eve of early voting in the New York City mayoral election, Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani denounced what he called “racist, baseless” attacks on his faith, saying the Islamophobia directed at him reflects the daily reality faced by many Muslim New Yorkers.
Early voting in the mayoral election begins Saturday, October 25 while general election will take place on November 4.
Speaking outside a Bronx mosque on Friday, Mamdani — who currently represents Astoria, Queens, in the New York State Assembly — said he had hoped to run a campaign grounded in shared values rather than identity.
“I have sought to be the candidate fighting for every single New Yorker, not simply the Muslim candidate,” Mamdani said. “I thought that if I could build a campaign of universality, I could define myself as the leader I aspire to be — one representing every New Yorker, no matter their skin color or religion, no matter where they were born.”
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Growing emotional, he added:
“I thought that if I behaved well enough or bit my tongue enough in the face of racist, baseless attacks, all while returning to my central message, it would allow me to be more than just my faith. I was wrong. No amount of redirection is ever enough.”
If elected, Mamdani would become New York City’s first Muslim mayor.
Islamophobia and Political Attacks
While sharing his experience, Mamdani many Muslim New Yorkers know too well how they are advised to keep their religion to themselves.
“These are lessons that so many Muslim New Yorkers have been taught,” he said. “And over these last few days, these lessons have become the closing messages of Andrew Cuomo, Curtis Sliwa, and Eric Adams.”
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries will endorse Zohran Mamdani for New York City mayor Friday, according to two people with knowledge of the situation.@SallyGold @emilyngo @joeanuta https://t.co/wAvOwvuRJC
— Nicholas Wu (@nicholaswu12) October 24, 2025
According to an Associated Press report, Mamdani’s rapid rise in the mayoral race has made him a target of anti-Muslim attacks from several quarters, including Republican politicians and far-right activists.
The remarks come amid growing controversy over statements made this week by Mamdani’s opponents.
Cuomo, Sliwa, and Adams Under Fire
Former Governor Andrew Cuomo, who lost to Mamdani in the June Democratic primary but is now running as an independent, faced criticism for comments made on a conservative radio program Thursday.
During the interview, the host suggested that Mamdani would “cheer” if a terrorist attack occurred while he was mayor. Cuomo appeared to laugh along, responding, “That’s another problem.”
A Cuomo campaign spokesperson, Rich Azzopardi, later said, according to NBC News that the former governor did not agree with the radio host’s comment.
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At a separate event the same day, Mayor Eric Adams, standing beside Cuomo at an endorsement rally, appeared to draw a link between Mamdani’s potential election and the threat of terrorism.
He even appeared to question wisdom of voters.
“New York can’t be Europe. I don’t know what is wrong with people,” Adams said. “You see what’s playing out in other countries because of Islamic extremism.”
Earlier in the week, Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa accused Mamdani of supporting “global jihad” during the final mayoral debate but provided no evidence to back his claim.
Grateful for your endorsement @NYCMayor.
Now New York, it’s up to you to VOTE! Each of your votes can make a big change in this election, don’t sit this one out.
Early voting starts this Saturday, 10/25.#VoteforCuomo #SayNoToZo pic.twitter.com/S4GKGzlDK6
— Andrew Cuomo (@andrewcuomo) October 23, 2025
“I have never, not once, spoken in support of global jihad,” Mamdani replied. “That is not something that I have said, and that continues to be ascribed to me. And frankly, I think much of it has to do with the fact that I am the first Muslim candidate to be on the precipice of winning this election.”
Campaigns for Adams and Sliwa have not made commented on the latest allegations.
Debate Over Antisemitism
During the same debate, Cuomo and Sliwa criticized Mamdani for what they called a weak approach to combating antisemitism.
Mamdani rejected those claims, saying his opponents were “weaponizing” the issue for political gain.
“The city needs a leader who takes [antisemitism] seriously, who roots it out of these five boroughs — not one who weaponizes it as a means to score political points on a debate stage,” he said.
NYC mayor nominee Mamdani pledges to combat antisemitism, hate crime
He also accused his opponents of using accusations of antisemitism as a proxy for Islamophobia.
In his speech, Mamdani said New York’s Muslims want equal treatment like all other citizens.
“The dream of every Muslim is simply to be treated the same as any other New Yorker,” he said. “And yet for too long, we have been told to ask for less than that — and to be satisfied with whatever little we receive.”
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Iftikhar Ali is a veteran Pakistani journalist, former president of UN Correspondents Association, and a recipient of the Pride of Performance civil award
